asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, before an individual who is entitled to a supplementary petrol allowance for business purposes can obtain replacement of tyres, he is obliged to fill in a form in order to obtain the necessary form to apply for such tyres; and whether this duplication can now be dispensed with.

There is no duplication. The first form is a request to the regional petroleum officer to confirm that the applicant has a petrol rationing category which qualifies him to obtain new motor car tyres. This confirmation is given by endorsement on a form of application for new tyres, which that officer issues and which the applicant sends to his tyre supplier. It is then used by the tyre supplier to obtain tyres from the wholesaler or manufacturer.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that people are tired of filling in forms in this country?

I am sure they would rather fill in forms than not have tyres.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish an abridged and simplified edition of the Report of the Working Party on the Cotton Industry.

Though I appreciate the desirability of the widest possible dissemination of the Working Party's Report, I should hope that all those who are interested will read it in full, since it would not be possible to make an accurate abridgment.

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that it is impossible for the ordinary working people of Lancashire to read this Report in full; that they take a very great interest in the Report; and would he reconsider the possibility and the desirability of publishing an abridged and simplified version?

We have considered the possibility and the desirability, and we have come to the conclusion that it would not be desirable, because it might lead to a great deal of misunderstanding.

The Government do not want the workers to know.

How many copies of the Report have been printed

I would like to have notice of that.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many mills in Lancashire engaged in the textile trade have made application for a licence to erect or reconstruct a canteen for the operatives.

Since May, 1945, to the end of June, 1946, 26 such applications, involving an expenditure of£53,800, have been received; 23 building licences have been issued and three recent applications are now receiving attention.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is proposed further to reduce the allocation of linseed oil to the linoleum industry after the present month.

The allocation of linseed oil to the linoleum industry in August will be maintained at the current rate. Future allocations will be determined in the light of the latest information about the supply situation.

Can the right hon. and learned Gentleman say whether it will be possible to increase the allocation for September?

I cannot possibly say until we know the supply situation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, since our stocks of raw wool are 797,000,000 lbs. at home and 2,290,000,000 lbs. abroad, exclusive of quantities at port and in transit, why some of these surplus stocks cannot be exchanged for timber and lead from Austria and silk from Italy, as both countries are anxious to make the exchange.

His Majesty's Government are negotiating for the purchase of timber from Austria, and would be interested in obtaining any supplies of lead that might be available. Austrian exporters would be able to use the sterling thus obtained to make purchases of any needed goods available in the sterling area, and not only wool. Silk is now imported on private account, but I understand that the grades which we need have not so far been available from Italy at prices attractive to our importers.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that at least 15,000 standards of timber in Austria, cut to English specifications, have been waiting to come here, and that they will take our wool? Why is there all this delay, because it has been hanging fire now for months? Will he do something quickly?

There is a delay, but arrangements have to be made as regards financial rearrangement with Austria, and those have not yet been completed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the overcharging by watch repairers; and whether he is contemplating any steps to deal with this.

Complaints about charges for watch repairing are made from time to time, but I am unable to say if they are justified. It should be borne in mind that watch parts are not so readily or cheaply obtained as formerly, and some of the increases in repair charges may, therefore, be perfectly reasonable. In view of the wide variety of the services rendered, I am not sure that any control would be administratively practicable, but I have asked the Central Price Regulation Committee to consider whether any control of repair charges is necessary and practicable.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the replacement of a watch glass, which before the war might have cost 6d., now often costs 5s.? Cannot something be done in that direction?

I am aware that some control may be necessary, and I will see if we can do anything about it.

asked the President of me Board of Trade whether he will arrange for an issue of clothing coupons to ballotees on their discharge from work in the mines, corresponding to some extent to the issue thereof to men and women demobilised from the Armed Forces.

Workers who have been conscripted or directed to heavy manual employment in industry are entitled, equally with those who enter it voluntarily, to supplementary coupon facilities; these are calculated as far as possible to offset any extra wear and tear caused by their work, and should, with their ordinary coupon ration, enable them to maintain an adequate stock of clothing. No industrial worker is entitled to a special supplement on leaving his job, and there would be no justification for making an exception in the case of ballotees to the mines.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what additional clothing coupon allocation it is intended to make to schoolchildren who will be engaged in agricultural harvesting this year, in view of the added wear and tear involved.

I am afraid that I can make no provision for young harvesters as such. I would remind my hon. Friend that, between 1st August next and 1st March, 1947, children between 10½ and 16 will receive 6o coupons from the basic ration and supplementary coupons and those between 16 and 18, 50 coupons.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of stamped Harris tweed produced in 1938 and in 1943, respectively; how much was exported in each of these years to the U.S.A.; and whether he will now state if it is his intention to increase supplies of yarn to meet the heavy and increasing demand of this industry and especially that of ex-Servicemen and women entering or re-entering the industry.

The amount of Harris Tweed stamped in the years 1938 and 1943 was 2,897,104 yards and 1,722,387 yards, respectively. The amount has increased rapidly since 1943 and is now back at approximately the 1938 level. No information is available as to how much of this was exported to the U.S.A. As to the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 3rd June.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that many men who have been demobilised, and who have been trying to set themselves up in this business so as to earn a livelihood in their own home area, cannot do so because of the difficulties in getting supplies of certificated yarn?

That is a matter which was dealt with in the answer en 3rd June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if the recent allocation of 25,00o mattresses to hotels and boarding houses for rehabilitation purposes is to be made from stocks that would otherwise be available for the holders of priority dockets who are at present unable to obtain mattresses, or from what other sources;

(2) whether he is aware that there is a shortage of flock mattresses in the Edinburgh area; that while many people holding priority dockets can be supplied with bed-ends and springs, they are unable to obtain mattresses; and what steps he proposes to take to overcome this shortage.

I am not aware of any special difficulty in supplies of mattresses for Edinburgh, but, if the hon. and gallant Member has any particular case in mind, perhaps he will give me details. To meet present and accumulated demand, civilian production, which is already nearly equal to the prewar level and well ahead of bedstead production, is being increased as rapidly as ticking supplies permit. The recent allocation to certain hotels, boarding houses and holiday camps, which represents about 1 per cent. of present production, was made from current manufacture.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why, having regard to the superior qualities of natural, as compared with synthetic, rubber, 11,970 tons of the former were sold to the U.S.A. for 20¼ U.S. cents per pound f.o.b. Malaya in February, while as much as 18½ U.S. cents per pound c.i.f. United Kingdom port were paid to the U.S.A. for 1,917 tons of the latter; and whether he will arrange for British requirements of natural rubber to be satisfied before it is shipped to foreign countries.

Natural rubber being in short supply is under international allocation and, in the period to which the hon. Member refers, it was necessary to supplement our allocation of natural rubber by supplies of synthetic rubber from the U.S.A. The price charged to us for this synthetic rubber, c.i.f. United Kingdom ports, was the same as the price to consumers, ex plant in the U.S.A. There has recently been a substantial improvement in the supplies of natural rubber, and our current allocations will enable British manufacturers to revert wholly to natural rubber by the end of September. No further imports of general purpose synthetic rubber are contemplated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that bird of paradise plumage is on sale in various shops in London in spite of the prohibition against its importation; and what action does he propose to take in the matter.

I intend to maintain the prohibition against the importation of bird of paradise feathers. I cannot say whether the plumage to which the hon. Member refers is derived from old stocks, but I shall be glad to consider any facts which are brought to my notice about it.

Would the right hon. and learned Gentleman be prepared to prohibit the sale of these articles?

Not if it is old stock, but if the hon. Gentleman can give me any further information on the subject, I will certainly look into it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what allocations of paper are now being made to the proprietors of football pools; how such allocations compare with the paper supplies so used in 1938–39; and what steps he is taking to prevent football pools supplementing their present paper allocation by purchases from paper merchants, printers and other suppliers.

The allocation of paper for football pools is 2½ per cent. of the quantity used in 1938–39. The amount allowed to the principal pool promoters equals 420 tons in four months. They have given an undertaking that they will not supplement their allocation by purchases from paper merchants and others; and care is taken to see that any such purchases by other promoters is deducted from the quantities licensed to them.

Before agreeing to this increased allocation for the pools, did my right hon. and learned Friend take any steps to see what supplies of propaganda literature had been held back by the principal firms which should have been given as salvage during the war, having been in existence since 1939?

I cannot answer that question specifically, but I imagine that all relevant circumstances were inquired into.

Can the right hon. and learned Gentleman say whether the ration is sufficient to permit them to send last week to my cottage in the country nine large circulars addressed to a number of people, none of whom ever lived there?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether before reaching a decision as to which Lancashire town will be the centre for the Cotton Purchasing Commission, he will receive a deputation from Merseyside interests directly affected.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement concerning the probable location of the headquarters of the Cotton Buying Commission when it has been established.

It is proposed that the administrative headquarters of the Cotton Buying Commission, when it has been established by legislation, shall be in Liverpool. It will no doubt open branch offices elsewhere, as may best suit the convenience of its business.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman accept my thanks for this decision, which will help the employment position, as it is serious on Merseyside?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, with the impending decrease in our livestock, involving a lesser demand for straw on the farms, he will ensure that there is no cessation of the purchase of straw for papermaking and endeavour to secure an assurance that an increased tonnage of home-produced straw is used for paper-making to save shipping space and to conserve the payment in sterling or dollars which is called for by importing supplies from overseas.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Richmond (Sir T. Dugdale) on Friday last.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman appreciate that there is considerable room for improvement by this Government in this matter, and in most other matters as well?

I am afraid that there is no more room for more straw in the paper-treating plant.

asked the President of the Board of Trade by how much the actual delivery of leather fell below the quota allocations for the last period; add if he has any report to give as to the success of his Department recently in purchasing hides and skins.

Returns of deliveries of leather during the June quarter are not yet complete, but I will send the information to the hon. Member as soon as it is ready. As regards the second part of the Question, while it would be premature to draw firm conclusions, purchases have increased considerably this month.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that during the previous quarter the licensed allocations were not delivered, in full, and why has he allowed leather to be exported from this country when it could have been made up here, thereby providing more employment and more dollars?

Perhaps the hon. Member would put that question on the Paper.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the quantities and value of cotton held by the Control in overseas countries; if he will name those countries and give details of the amount and value in each, respectively;

(2) how much cotton, and in what grades, is held by the Control; and what was the cost price.

The total quantity of cotton held by the Cotton Control on 31st March last amounted to about 295,000 tons in the United Kingdom and 220,000 tons abroad or afloat costing about£37 million and£26 million respectively. It would not be desirable to publish details of quantities and value by grades and location.

Why is it necessary to have all this secrecy? How much of this cotton was bought for cash and how much in futures dealings, and if in futures dealings, which foreign markets were used?

If the hon. Member will put those questions on the Paper, I will answer them.

I keep on putting them down.

Never despair.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will reduce by two the coupon value of boots and shoes now that supply has practically caught up with demand.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to make a statement about a reduction in the number of coupons required for footwear.

Supplies of leather are still short and I am, therefore, introducing a range of lower pointings for footwear which will particularly affect those types which require least leather. For instance, men's shoes with rubber composition soles will be reduced from nine coupons to seven and women's shoes similarly from seven to five. I am also helping agricultural and industrial workers by downpointing utility heavy working boots from nine coupons to six and safety boots and rubber boots from six to four. An Order will be published on Thursday next bringing these changes into effect as from Monday, 29th July. The complete list of changes is somewhat detailed, and I am ensuring that full information is available to traders through the Press and trade associations.

May I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that answer, and ask him not to be weary in well-doing but to reduce the coupon value still more?

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman consider very particularly downpointing the cheap shoes, of which there is such a plentiful supply in Leicester and similar places?

Those are the type of shoes which do not use large quantities of leather.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there is a shortage of sizes 2 and 2½ ladies' shoes at Thirsk; and whether he will take steps to secure a more equal distribution of the small sizes of ladies' shoes throughout the country.

I am not aware of any particular shortage of these shoes in Thirsk, but if the hon. Member will give me details of any specific complaints he has received, I will look into them. The demand for these small sizes is very limited, but I have no reason to believe that supplies are not distributed as fairly as possible throughout the country by the trade.

Will the Minister bear in mind that there are many dainty feet in Thirsk?

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that women are buying children's or girls' shoes and wearing them themselves, and will he take steps to stop this practice, which deprives children of shoes?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now abolish the Defence Regulations for bidding trading with the enemy, so far as Austria is concerned, in view of the fact that Great Britain is now the only State which still maintains the wartime regulations forbidding trade with Austria.

As indicated in the announcement in the Board of Trade Journal of 20th July, I hope that within a short time a Payments Agreement with Austria will be concluded and, when this has been signed, the United Kingdom Trading with the Enemy restrictions on trade with Austria will be relaxed in such a way as to permit transactions with firms in Austria for the purchase and sale of goods.

Would the right hon. and learned Gentleman refer to the last part of my Question, in which I state that this is the only country that still maintains these restrictions on trade with Austria?

That may be, and until we have got this Payments Agreement we cannot release them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider the reduction of raw material for plastic products that are only marketable because of a shortage in cotton goods, in order to increase supplies for the maintenance of the staple plastics industries.

The plastic products which are being marketed as alternatives to certain textile goods are made from polyvinyl chloride. Discussions regarding the distribution of this material are taking place with the producers and users in the plastics industry, and steps have already been taken to ensure adequate supplies for the more important purposes.

Will the President of the Board of Trade take note of the fact that there is a plastics industry in Scotland that is threatened with closing down, that it is very undesirable that we should have any new industries closing down, and will he see to it that supplies of raw material are available to keep the industry going?

Certainly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the reasons for the shortage of East Indian wool required now by the carpet, felt and blanket trades of this country; and what action he proposes taking to remedy this deficiency and ensure continued production.

Imports of Indian carpet wool into the United Kingdom are licensed freely, but I understand that there has been greatly increased consumption of this wool in India, and measures have been taken by the Government of India to ensure supplies for the home demand there. We are in touch with the Government of India on the question of the quantities available for export.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the increasing difficulty in obtaining women's outsize garments; and what steps he proposes to take to encourage manufacturers to increase these supplies.

Discussions are proceeding with the trade associations concerned, and an announcement will shortly be made about changes in the present arrangements for encouraging the production of outsizes.

Can the right hon. and learned Gentleman give any explanation of the fact that the women of North-East Leeds are so much larger than the women of Thirsk?

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman take notice that this is a very urgent matter? Will he take into consideration that on 13th February a similar reply to the one he has just given was given to me in reply to a Question, and that, apparently, the position is becoming worse rather than better?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement about the course of the discussions between His Majesty's Government and representatives of the Soviet Commissariat for Foreign Trade now in this country.

My discussions with Mr. Klentsov are proceeding actively, but I would prefer to say nothing further for the present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much timber it is proposed to import from Germany for housing and other purposes; and what progress has been made in felling operations in the German State forests.

It is our aim to obtain the maximum quantity of timber for housing and other purposes from the British zone of Germany. The organisation for felling this timber is now in operation, and up to the end of June, 79,729 tons had been brought to ports for export.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India how many persons, and of what nationality, are at present lodged in the Central Internment Camp at Dehra Dun in the special wing called the anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist Wing No. 2; and on what grounds are any of such persons so detained.

As the reply is somewhat long and contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it with the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what steps are in contemplation to ensure that the Gurkha community resident in India secure adequate political representation in the new Constitution for that country.

All such matters will be for the consideration of the Constituent Assembly and the Advisory Committee, to be set up as provided in paragraph 20 of the Cabinet Mission's Statement of 16th May.

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman make sure that emphasis is given to the needs of this particular community, who are very likely to be overlooked? They number some 2,000,000, and other communities, such as the Anglo-Indian community, who are much less numerous, get recognition already.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what are the political difficulties that have arisen in Sind.

I have called for a report, and will communicate with my hon. Friend on its receipt.

Can the hon. and learned Gentleman say when this report is likely to be received in this country, in view of the serious allegations that are made about disturbances that may arise?

I am sure there will be no unnecessary delay on the part of the Government of India.

May I ask how it comes about, in view of the fact that provincial self-government is operating in the Province of Sind, that the hon. Gentleman is enabled to ask this Question at all? Surely, it is not constitutional?

I am not quite sure whether the situation has reference to the exercise of the special powers of the Governor, or to the actions of the Legislative Assembly.

In any case, it is not proper for the India Office to answer questions with regard to a Province in which self-government is working.

I think that point would have been looked at before the Question was accepted at the Table. I am aware of the point the hon. Gentleman has in mind, and I am sure it would have been looked at.

Cannot we take it that Questions which have passed the Table are quite in Order?

asked the Under-Secretary for India why an advertisement recently appeared inviting British applications for one hundred vacancies in the Indian Civil Police.

I am not aware of any such advertisement having appeared recently, but if my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars I will gladly look into the matter.

Do I understand that, in fact, no advertisement of any kind for English recruits to such offices are now put out?

There was an advertisement issued in November last year, but there has been nothing since then.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that General Spiliotopoulos, recently appointed chief of staff to the Greek Army, on 28th September, 1941, wrote to the high command of the gendarmerie and police administration of Salonika ordering them to search out and surrender all British soldiers hiding in Greece to the German authorities; that General Spiliotopoulos was appointed military governor of Athens in October, 1944, but was dismissed by M. Papandriou on publication of this document; whether the appointment of this officer was approved by the British Military Mission to Greece; and what representations have been made in regard to this matter.

General Spiliotopoulos was promoted during the Albanian campaign to the rank of major-general for an act of bravery. I am informed that, at the beginning of the occupation, he decided that he might be able to do useful work against the enemy by accepting the post of chief of the Gendarmerie. The order to which my hon. Friend refers was an enemy order which Spiliotopoulos, in his official capacity, was forced to sign. He gave secret orders, however, that it should not be observed. The General was, at the same time, head of various Greek secret information services; was a member of the organisation which assisted British troops left behind in Greece with false papers and in other ways; and he did good work for the Allied Intelligence Services. He was secretly appointed military governor of Attica by the Greek Government in Cairo, and on the return of the Government to Greece was transferred to an important position in the Ministry of War. In view of this record, the British Military Mission did not oppose the appointment of General Spiliotopoulos as Chief of Staff.

Is it not obvious that, first of all, whatever were the secret affiliations of this officer, the Germans had no complaint at all to make of him, and retained him in his position of influence throughout the occupation; and, secondly, that this letter and the file number, photostatic copies of which appeared throughout the Greek Press, and other evidence, were quite sufficient in November, 1944, to induce Mr. Papandriou to dismiss this officer? Is it not a great pity that, since we are so deeply involved in the recreation of the Greek Army, appointments such as this are made?

I would say, first, that the information which I have given to my hon. Friend was information which could not be published in October, 1944, because the war was not yet over. In the second place, I am sure he will agree that that information makes a great difference. In the third place, this is not His Majesty's Government's appointment. The question for us is, whether we ought to have opposed what the Greek Government wanted to do.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the proposed form of the Greek plebiscite for 1st September will specifically avoid any decision on the constitutional question of monarchy or republic but will allow a decision only on the personal question of whether King George shall or shall not return to Greece; and what representations have been made to the Greek Government regarding the proposed form.

As the result of concessions made by the Greek Government to the Parliamentary opposition, the electoral bill will enable the Greek people to express their will against the institution of monarchy, if they so desire. Each elector will be given three ballot papers; one will be stamped with the name of the King; one will be stamped with any constitutional formula which the opposition may suggest, for example, with the word "Republic"; the third will be left blank to be filled in as each elector may desire. Blank ballot papers on which nothing is written will be counted as votes against the King. The Prime Minister has given assurances that, if the King fails to obtain a majority, the Government will resign and the whole question of the Constitution will then be opened. His Majesty's Government have told the Greek Government with all the emphasis at their command how essential it is that the plebiscite shall be a fair and honest expression of the people's will, carried out in conditions of social and political security. But His Majesty's Ambassador in Athens has made no representations to the Greek Government about the form of the plebiscite.

The only point which arises is whether there will be any provision in this rather complicated and involved procedure to declare publicly the number of votes which are cast in favour of a republic?

Yes, Sir, undoubtedly.

Is it not clear that the Greek Government have declared the present regime as a monarchy, and that there is no provision whatsoever for counting the votes which are recorded against the monarchy? In these circumstances will the Government revise their attitude towards the plebiscite?

Of course, under the present Constitution, Greece is a monarchy, but if large numbers of votes are cast with the word "Republic" on them that will be declared. In that sense the number of votes for a new form of Constitution will, I think, be made public to the world.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will bring to the attention of those British prison advisers serving Athens with the British Police Mission, who are charged with giving aid in the reorganisation of the Greek prisons, paragraph 104, on page 24, of the Report of the British Legal Mission to Greece; and whether he will ask the British Police Mission to ascertain why these prisoners are not serving their sentences under the same prison conditions as are the present 12,000 ex-E.L.A.S. internees.

I share my hon. Friend's concern at the discrimination shown by the Greek Government in the exceptionally favourable treatment which has been given, since their arrest nearly two years ago, to the 27 men who were leading collaborators with the Germans. In general, as I am sure my hon. Friend will agree, the purpose of the Police Mission must be to improve the conditions in the other prisons. Advice to this effect has been given to the Greek Government. There has been a considerable improvement since the law for the de-congestion of the prisons was adopted, and I hope this improvement may continue.

While I thank my right hon. Friend for part of that reply, may I ask him whether he is aware that this paragraph draws attention to the fact that these Quislings are living in converted flats, with wireless sets, electric heaters and unlimited food brought in from outside, and is not this a particularly appropriate case for intervention by the British police officers and British authorities now in liaison with the Greek Government?

These men have received special treatment from all Greek Governments since they were arrested, and I believe it is on the theory that they are ex-Ministers. I have already said that the British Government view this discrimination with concern.

Is my right hon. Friend prepared to give instructions to the British police officers in Greece that they should make representations about this extremely disgusting matter?

Unless I am mistaken they have already done so.

Can my right hon. Friend persuade the present Greek Government to live in the converted flats and let the Greek people govern Greece?

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether agricultural production had been planned in the British occupation zone of Germany; what acreages of wheat, rye, barley, oats and potatoes was it proposed to grow for harvesting in 1947; and what percentage of the population's requirements was it estimated to meet.

Yes, Sir; constant attention has been devoted to the planning of agricultural production in the British zone of Germany. According to present plans, the acreages to be sown for harvesting in 1947 arc as follow:

Are the Government going to do anything to abolish the landowners and Junkers in the British zone?

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will take steps to speed up the delivery of mails from Germany to this country; and why the cost of such mails is greatly in excess of prewar rates.

The British authorities in Germany are now reviewing arrangements for the delivery of mail in the hope that they can be improved. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate, however, that the slowness of communications in Germany, the limitations of the German internal postal service and the necessity for maintaining censorship on outgoing mail make it impossible to restore the prewar standard of service at the present time. The postal rates must be regarded as provisional. In fixing them, the Control Council found it necessary, in the absence of a fixed rate of exchange for the mark, to leave a margin of safety in order to ensure that the cost of the postal service was fully covered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether investigations have been made into the activities of the Colorado beetle over the last two years, respectively; and if he will give an estimate of how serious the danger from this pest is in this country.

Yes, Sir: every known occurrence of the Colorado beetle in this country during the last two years has been investigated. The beetle is now widespread in Western Europe and there is undoubtedly serious risk of its introduction here. Every effort is made to obtain the earliest possible notification of its appearance so that the necessary measures can be taken at once to destroy it. I have every reason to hope that the continuance of the energetic measures which the Ministry has pursued for many years may succeed in preventing the establishment of the pest in this country.

Can the Minister say how many areas are affected in this country?

In the last few outbreaks one single beetle has been concerned, and so there has been no widespread outbreak.

Is the Minister satisfied that the danger of this terrible pest is fully understood on the Continent, and that suitable steps are being taken to reduce it there?

I am afraid that we have no control over the Continent. We can only exercise control over anything we may import from any part of continental Europe.

Are steps being taken to try and find the father and mother of this beetle?

Is the case being investigated by the Agricultural Research Council, and are they considering means which can be taken to prevent these outbreaks?

I have already informed the House that whenever a beetle is discovered in this country active and energetic steps are taken to see that there is no spreading of the pest. As we do not regard it as endemic here there is no reason to go beyond the steps we are taking.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many outbreaks of infection by Colorado beetle have been discovered in England and Wales since 3rd September, 1939; and how many insects afterwards identified as Colorado beetles have been captured.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and gallant Gentleman the Member for Central Glasgow (Colonel J. R. H. Hutchison) on 15th July.

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer the Question which I have addressed to him—whether the Agricultural Research Council are investigating the causes of these outbreaks, and what steps are being taken to prevent a repetition?

The Agricultural Research Council know the habits and ways of this particular beetle, and, once they are aware of its presence in this country, they arc quite capable of coping with it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the large amount of waste land, amounting to several million acres throughout all parts of the country which is being made no use of, he will consider having a survey made with a view to the utilisation of the more favourable portions of this land for increased food production.

No, Sir, such a survey has already been made. The National Farm Survey of 1941–43 showed that there was less than a quarter of a million acres of enclosed land in England and Wales which was not being utilised for agriculture and was lying more or less idle; such of this land as is suitable for the purpose has, for the most part, subsequently been brought into cultivation. There are also some 5½million acres of unenclosed rough hill grazings, but these grazings are used for sheep and store cattle, which, in the main, represents their most economic use. The diversion on a large scale of labour, machinery and materials in short supply to marginal or rough grazing land from more productive land would, on balance, involve a loss of food production.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, leaving on one side the question of rough land and marginal land, if he is aware that within a hundred miles of London—North, South, East and. West—there are many thousand of acres of really good land, which are not being utilised for food production?

I am not aware of that.

The sooner the right hon. Gentleman is aware of it, the better.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many trainees have been accepted for horticulture and agriculture in each of the counties in Wales under the training scheme.

As the answer involves a number of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether there are any training farms run by the Government, and, if not, would he consider the advisability of running such farms?

If the hon. Gentleman will wait until 1st October, when the new National Agricultural Advisory Service comes into being, I am hoping that they will take over demonstration farms.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what sum has been paid in compensation during the last reported period for cattle destroyed in consequence of foot-and-mouth disease; and how much has been spent during the same period on research to find a cure for it.

The compensation paid during the year ended 31st March last for animals slaughtered because of foot-and-mouth disease was£113,691. The amount spent on research into the disease during the same period was approximately£37,000.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether any progress is being made towards finding a cure, and whether it is proposed to extend research?

I am not sure about the positive steps, but active steps are being taken all the time, and we are hoping that we are on the right track.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give information as to the total number of additional combine harvesters which will be in use in this

It is estimated that about 50o additional combined harvesters and over 600 additional threshing drums will be available for this year's harvest.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) if he can now give the acreages of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes and sugar beet grown for the 1946 harvest, as shown in the June agricultural returns; and his estimates of the total yields of each crop;

(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the acreages of wheat grown in each county for the 1946 harvest; and the target he has set the W.A.E.C. of each county for the 1947 wheat harvest.

The preliminary results of 4th June census are not expected to be ready before about the end of August and until then reliable estimates of total yields are not available. It would not be in the public interest to give targets for each county.